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February 10, 2021 Project N95 Banner Hdr The American Association of Nurse Practitioners® (AANP) Partners With Project N95 to Provide Access to Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) AANP is now collaborating with the nonprofit organization Project N95 to provide members access to respirators, patient examination gloves, surgical masks and other PPE products. To date, Project N95 has facilitated the delivery of more than 5 million units of PPE to more than 180,000 front-line workers. Through this collaboration, AANP members have the opportunity to purchase vetted PPE in any quantity and enjoy bulk pricing that comes from leveraging AANP’s community of 118,000 members. In addition, as a AANP member, you have an additional 5-12% discount on N95 respirators and disinfectant wipes through February 19, 2021! Review the available PPE, prices, the vetting process and more, and take advantage of special pricing by placing your order before February 19. Learn About Project N95 Leadership Nominations Are Open for the 2021 AANP National Leadership Awards Now is the time to honor two outstanding nurse practitioner (NP) leaders. These awards are for achievements that have impacted the NP profession on a national or international scale and for NPs who have incorporated the AANP mission into the success of their initiative(s). The Towers Pinnacle Award is presented annually to an individual who, through policy, practice or education, has made outstanding contributions that resulted in increased national recognition for NPs and increased opportunities for NPs to provide care to patients. Learn More American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification Board (AANPCB) Leadership Opening AANPCB has a leadership opening for the Director of Certification position. The AANPCB Director oversees the certification staff, programs and activities at the AANPCB office, located in Austin, TX. To apply, please send a cover letter and resume to [email protected] Visit the AANPCB website for more information. Project N95 AANP Communities ad 2021 HP Conference ad Free Webinar — Examining the Past: The First Step in AANP's Journey of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Join the AANP Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Committee for a special three-part webinar series covering AANP's past, present and future commitments to diversity! Register now for the first webinar of the series on February 25, where DEI Committee members will discuss the history of diversity initiatives at AANP, including past activities and the formation and evolution of the committee itself. This opportunity is available to AANP members only, so log in to your AANP account to register for free. Learn More Meet the Candidates for AANP Leadership Positions in 2021 Read about your colleagues who are seeking AANP elected office this year. Take time now to find out what makes them uniquely qualified to lead your association so that you are ready to vote in the 2021 election. Although the slate is closed for 2021, this is a good time to think about the organization and how you might be able to contribute by running for an elected leadership position in the future. AANP members who are eligible to vote in this election will be notified electronically when the ballot opens on March 11. Membership AANP CE Center AANP members enjoy free, 24/7 access to the AANP CE Center, which contains hundreds of continuing education (CE) activities designed to help NPs achieve professional growth and excellence in clinical practice. Annual [email protected] Champion Summit: February 22-23 [email protected] is a grassroots advocacy campaign of the United Nations Foundation and, as a [email protected] Partner, AANP encourages NPs to learn more about increasing vaccine awareness and disseminating information about the deadliness of vaccine-preventable diseases. AANP trains members to become [email protected] Champions each year, who go on to advocate and raise awareness in their local communities and with their legislators. These Champions are invited to attend the annual Champion Summit, held virtually this year February 22-23. Champions will hear from global health experts, policy insiders, [email protected] team members and fellow grassroots advocates on topics such as immunization equity, the impact of COVID-19 and turning policy into programs. Learn more about [email protected] and see how you can get involved. Education Now Accepting Applications: 2021 AANP Grants and Scholarships Program Are you an NP student in search of funding to help support your education? Are you conducting research into quality of care or the NP role? Apply for a 2021 AANP Scholarship or Grant! If selected, you may receive $2,500 to $5,000 in scholarship funding or up to $5,000 in grant funding. Applications are due by 6 p.m. ET (5 p.m. CT) on March 24. See All Funding Opportunities Become an NP Advocate at the 2021 AANP Health Policy Conference Learn to advocate effectively on legislative issues impacting you and your patients at the online 2021 AANP Health Policy Conference! Instead of the annual in-person conference, this year’s virtual conference will be available February 25-March 11. By attending, you will have two full weeks to earn up to 6.0 contact hours of CE credit. Many timely and informative presentation sessions will be delivered by policy and advocacy experts, who will offer their expertise in developing the skills and insight necessary to advocate effectively on the federal level. Registration closes March 9, so register early to save your spot! White House Announces Launch of Federal Retail Pharmacy Program On February 2, 2021, the White House announced the beginning of the first phase of the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program for COVID-19 Vaccinations. This public-private partnership with 21 national pharmacies and networks of independent pharmacies represents more than 40,000 locations nationwide. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) worked with states to identify initial pharmacy partners. AANP will continue to provide updates as they become available. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Announces COVID-19 Health Insurance Special Enrollment Period On January 28, 2021, HHS, through the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), announced a special enrollment period (SEP) for Marketplace coverage in response to the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE). The SEP will allow individuals and families in states with Marketplaces served by healthcare.gov to enroll in 2021 health insurance coverage. The enrollment period will be from February 15 to May 15, 2021. Further information on enrollment is available on the HHS SEP announcement website and on the SEP fact sheet. Primary Care First Cohort 2 Eligibility Changes On Thursday, February 4, CMS announced that the Request for Applications (RFA) for Cohort 2 of the Primary Care First (PCF) Model will be open to all primary care practices in the 26 PCF regions, regardless of their prior participation in the Comprehensive Primary Care Plus (CPC+) Model. Initially, PCF Cohort 2 was intended for advanced primary care practices currently participating in the CPC+ Model. As previously reported, NPs participating in this model will be authorized to certify their patients’ need for therapeutic shoes to treat diabetes. The application period is scheduled to open in the spring of 2021, and additional information can be found on the PCF website. Telehealth has become an essential strategy for providing health care. With Sacred Heart University’s post-master’s certificate for nurse practitioners, you’ll lead the adoption and implementation of innovative telehealth services to increase access to care, address health justice inequities and improve clinical outcomes. Learn more and apply now for Spring 2021. Emverm® (mebendazole) chewable tablet is the only FDA-Approved prescription treatment indicated for pinworm. Emverm offers a 95% cure rate against pinworm in a single, kid-friendly tablet. Eligible patients may pay as little as $5 on their prescription using the Emverm savings program. Learn more today! GW Nursing offers highly-ranked online Master’s and Doctoral degree programs for nurse practitioners. Areas of study include adult gerontology, family, psych mental health, leadership, midwifery and health policy. Faculty focus on developing strong leaders by educating students to think and act strategically, participate in policy decisions, and lead organizations through change and improvement. Learn more today! Arkansas NP Legislation to Update Prescribing Authorization and Retire Collaborative Agreement Arkansas State Senator Kim Hammer introduced Senate Bill 186 in the Arkansas Senate. As introduced, the bill would retire the collaborative agreement requirement for select advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) with at least 1,000 hours of practice in an agreement. The bill would also update APRN prescriptive authority to include Schedules II-V. The bill has been referred to the Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee, where it awaits a hearing and further action. The bill must move quickly to advance through the process before the end of the short 2021 legislative session, which is slated for mid-March. Arkansas AANP members can watch their emails for more details. Georgia House Bill Introduced to Repeal Select APRN Prescribing Restrictions Last week, Georgia Representative Mary Robichaux, along with four co-sponsors, introduced House Bill 213. As introduced, this legislation would update the Georgia controlled substances laws to include APRNs as authorized prescribers and proposes repealing select existing state laws related to APRN delegation protocol agreements with a physician. The bill would also recognize APRN signatures on items of patient care, including death certificates. The bill has been referred to the House Health and Human Services Committee, where it awaits further action. AANP Georgia members can watch their emails for added detail. Kansas Legislature Introduces Bills to Retire Collaboration Protocols for NPs After 4,000 Hours This week, Kansas lawmakers introduced Senate Bill 174 (S.B. 174)/House Bill 2256 (H.B. 2256). These bills, as introduced, would make changes to malpractice coverage, retire the physician protocol requirement for eligible APRN prescribers who have completed 4,000 hours and align Kansas with the requirements for national certification. Both legislative vehicles have been referred to their respective health committees — S.B. 174 to the Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee and H.B. 2256 to the House Committee on Health and Human Services — where they each await a committee hearing and further action. AANP Kansas members can watch their emails for more detail. Maine House Bill to Eliminate NP Supervision Requirement Slated for Next Week Committee Hearing Maine Representative Anne Perry introduced L.D. 295 (H.P. 208), a bill that would eliminate the outdated requirement for Maine NPs to practice at least 24 months under the supervision of a physician or NP or be employed by a clinic or hospital that has a medical director who is a licensed physician. If enacted, this change would make permanent the temporary emergency suspension of Maine’s 24-month transition to practice requirement under the COVID-19 Executive Action that went into effect in March 2020. The fast-moving bill is scheduled for a committee hearing in the Committee On Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services next week on Thursday, February 18. AANP Maine members can watch emails for added detail. Utah Introduces Bill to Retire Collaborative Agreement Under current Utah law, an APRN who owns or operates a pain clinic, or who has been licensed for less than one year or has less than 2,000 hours of practice experience, must practice pursuant to a consultation and referral plan with a physician in order to prescribe Schedule II controlled substances. House Bill 287 would retire this requirement. As introduced, this bill would result in Full Practice Authority for Utah. The bill has been assigned to the House Business and Labor Committee and is waiting to be scheduled for a hearing. Washington State Hears Bill to Address Reimbursement Issues Lawmakers in the Senate Committee on Health and Long Term Care heard Senate Bill 5222 in committee on February 1. As introduced, this bill would require health carriers to reimburse NPs and other advanced practice nurses at the same rate as physicians for providing the same services. Oregon passed a similar law several years ago to address patient care challenges and bolster practice sustainability. AANP submitted written testimony in support of this legislation. The bill is currently pending committee vote. The Voice of the Nurse Practitioner ®
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